Spa chef shares secrets in new cookbook

Chef Michel Stroot can turn a meal into a work of art, with apalette of colors, flavors and textures that will titillate thepalate.

Stroot is the man behind the cooking behind the famed GoldenDoor Spa in Escondido. He makes fine cuisine look easy, both in hiskitchen and in the third cookbook he has authored - “The GoldenDoor Cooks Light & Easy” (Gibbs Smith, $29.95).

On a recent morning, Stroot demonstrated the simplicity of oneof the 163 recipes in the book, Blue Corn And Buttermilk WafflesWith Spiced Pear Butter. The ingredients included low-fat yogurt,drained overnight to achieve the consistency of cream cheese; lemonzest, honey and blue cornmeal. The result was a light, lusciousoffering, garnished with strawberries and edible flowers from theextensive 3-acre organic garden on the grounds.

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Lowering the lid on the waffle iron, Stroot pointed out how thebatter began to rise, an indication that the end product would benice and light.

“It takes three to four minutes to get a nice waffle,” he said,arranging strawberries on a plate and topping them with ediblelavender and geraniums. “It should be lightly browned.”

He offered this tip: If the waffles become soft before they canbe served, pop them under the broiler for a few seconds tocrisp.

Stroot said his motto is “PTT,” letters that sum up theimportant elements of cooking. First is presentation, or what thefood looks like to the guest. Second is Taste. And third is Texture- is it like baby food, or does it have a pleasant consistency?

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The recipes in his new book use very little salt, he said; theyrely instead on herbs and spices for flavor. And use good oils, hesaid, like sesame, canola and olive oil. A spray bottle can “mistoil onto pans and food” rather than pour it on.

“The book has a variety of (recipes) from very, very, verysimple but good ideas that are downright easy, to the morecomplex,” he said.

The recipes range from soups and appetizers to salads, maindishes and desserts. The emphasis is on simplicity and eye appeal,although cooks who prefer or want the complicated and classic canexperiment with unusual ingredients and food combinations.

Stroot said he doesn’t espouse counting calories, but healthfuleating.

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“The main thing in health is to watch your portions,” he said.He calls it “de-calorizing,” and offers ways to trim fat and use"mock ingredients,” to make favorites - such as “guacamole” withoutavocados.

For those who prefer meatless meals, or who just want a tastyvegetarian adventure, the section on meatless main courses includesrecipes for Baked Acorn Squash With Curried Tofu, Lentils, SpinachAnd Spiced Pecans; or a Vegan Irish Stew With Potato Gratinee AndWild Mushroom Sauce.

“There’s a lot more variety in my cookbook this time,” Strootsaid. “It’s also made a lot simpler. That makes a bigdifference.”

One thing he has simplified is the language, he said.

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“We made the vocabulary in the book so plain - we don’t use theword julienne, for instance - so that it’s understandable to mosthome cooks.”

Stroot has filled the book with humor and personal touches,including his own illustrations, and tips to help elevatepreparation and serving to a higher level.

This third book is the result of the evolution in cooking duringthe past few years. He compares the evolution of taste in food tothat of design in cars. “You move on with time and you get newmodels and new technology,” he said. “My food is very eclectic -Thai food, seafood, curries, food from Mexico - and I draw on myroots from Belgium.”

Stroot began his cooking career out of necessity. “I have tothank my dear mother for that,” he said. “She had leukemia. We werefive in the household, and she had to go for treatments.” Strootbecame the family’s cook.

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“I remember my first spaghetti,” he said. “It was so terrible.But my dad ate it anyway.”

Stroot later attended culinary school for three years,graduating in 1965. He spent a year in the Air Force before takingup his craft. He moved to the United States, by way of Canada in1966. He remembers that he arrived in Monterey in November, didn’tknow a soul, and spent Thanksgiving day at the beach, he said.

In 1973, Golden Door founder Deborah Szekely offered him theposition of chef at the world-renowned spa.

Since then he has made several guest appearances on television,including the “Today Show” and on the Food Network, and beennominated for the prestigious James Beard Award.

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“To any reader I would say ‘Start with step one - start withsimple - then go on to step two, and if you’re really interested incooking, keep going. Once you get the hang of it, improvise.’”

To order the cookbook, call (877) 857-0500 or visitwww.goldendoorboutique.com.

(If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can use this deliciousbatter to make pancakes)

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Blue Corn And Buttermilk Waffles With Spiced Pear Butter

For the pear butter:

1/2 lemon

3 medium pears, peeled, cored and diced

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1 ripe banana, thinly sliced

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

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For the waffles:

1 cup blue cornmeal

1 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

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1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons canola oil

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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons honey

2 egg yolks

4 egg whites, at room temperature

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1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Canola oil in a spray bottle, or 1 teaspoon canola oil

Maple syrup, optional

To prepare the pear butter: First acidulate the fruit to preventit from browning: squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the pear andbanana and toss to coat. Transfer to a saucepan set overmedium-high heat. Pour the apple juice over the fruit and add thecinnamon stick. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, covered. Remove fromthe heat and let cool.

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Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the cooled fruit andcooking liquid to a blender or food processor fitted with a metalblade; process the fruit until smooth. Transfer to a storagecontainer or serving bowl, stir in the lemon zest and set asideuntil ready to serve. Makes 2 cups.

To prepare the waffles: Preheat a Belgian waffle iron orstandard waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bluecornmeal, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

With a spatula, make a small depression or “well” in the centerof the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk mixture into it.Stir gently but thoroughly, until well incorporated. Be careful notto overmix.

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Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they formsoft peaks. Gently fold into the buttermilk batter until the whitesare just barely blended in. Gently fold in the grated lemonzest.

Spray or grease the hot waffle iron with canola oil, pour in thebatter until the iron is about 2/3 full, and close the lid. Bakefor 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Keep warm.Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Serve immediatelywith Spiced Pear Butter or maple syrup. Wrap any leftover wafflesin plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reheat in 325-degree oven ortoaster oven. Spiced Pear Butter will keep in the refrigerator,covered, for up to 5 days.